Holy communion

Welcome to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, where we invite you to partake in the profound and sacred experience of our Holy Communion service. Holy Communion is the culmination of all the sacraments of the Church, a moment where God's ultimate offering for humanity is made manifest. This is not an offering of man to God, but the offering of God Himself for the salvation of mankind. Just as the sheep and goats were offered as sacrifices on altars in the Old Testament, they foreshadowed the ultimate sacrifice of Christ’s flesh and blood in the New Testament.

The bread and wine we offer in Holy Communion are a continuation of these sacred acts, symbolizing the offering made by Melchizedek to Abraham (Gen. 14:18) and the sacrifices made by the Israelites during their liberation. Holy Communion is deeply rooted in Scripture (Mt. 26:26; 1 Cor. 11:23-25), where the priest, through prayer, transforms the bread into the Body of Christ and the wine into His Blood. In this sacred moment, we partake in the Body and Blood of our Savior, Christ, our Paschal Lamb, uniting with Him in a life-giving communion of grace and love.

Through this holy sacrament, we are nourished spiritually and drawn closer to God in a bond of eternal unity.